1. Field of the Invention
A mobile shelter assembly capable of being mounted on the bed of a truck and wherein components of the shelter assembly are structured for selective attachment in either a collapsed position, primarily used during transport of the vehicle, or an operable position, normally used when the vehicle is not being transported.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is recognized that vehicles exist in the prior art which are structured to be "modified" to the extent that certain portions of the vehicle may be expanded or contracted for purposes of changing the overall dimension and configuration of the vehicle dependent on its intended use and for purposes of travel.
For example, Norkus, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,682, discloses a cargo truck trailer having a telescoped box-like top and a bottom portion cooperatively interconnected through a mechanism operated from a single control station. The mechanism will serve to raise or lower the top portion relative to the bottom portion in order to provide maximum cargo space. The top or roof portion is guided by ribs or struts of the bottom body portion and the aforementioned control mechanism used to raise the top relative to the bottom is in the form of a crank mechanism which drives gears and chains to simultaneously rotate a plurality of vertical screw rods at the corners and mid-section of the body. Norkus, Jr. further shows an access door or tail gate supported on telescoped tracks which accommodate the raising or lowering of the top body so that the cargo carrying interior may be completely closed regardless of the selected height of the overall vehicle. While operable for its intended function, the mechanism associated with the selective positioning of the top and bottom portions relative to one another in the Norkus, Jr. patent appears to be relatively complex and of questionable adaptability to existing commercial vehicles without encountering prohibitive expense in initial manufacture and/or maintenance thereof.
The patent to Marole, U.S. Pat. No. 2,756,094, discloses a collapsible trailer which has various components including top, bottom, and side wall portions which are movable relative to one another to expand the height, length, and accordingly the overall interior dimension. Similarly, the patent to Hulsev. U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,116, discloses a recreational vehicle or travel trailer including open top box-type body sections provided with rigid forward and aft covered sections movable relative to one another between collapsed and extended positions. A roof is provided for the body when the cover sections are collapsed for towing of the trailer and when they are extended to an open trailer for camping. One problem associated with many prior art vehicles is the generally complicated mechanical means used to accomplish relative movement and/or support of the individual components of the vehicle as such components are selectively positioned between a collapsed and/or operable position. In the Hulsev patent, a plurality of arms which are pivotally mounted serve to support and/or attend to the movement of the components relative to one another.
Fillios, U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,571, discloses an expandable camper body having an aft section which telescopes within a forward section and incorporates folding support tracks for guiding and supporting the aft section when extended outwardly, longitudinally relative to the other section or forward section to which it is attached. Hydraulic power is used for raising and lowering the support track and a powered gear mechanism serves to drive and extend and retract the aft section on the aforementioned tracks.
It is assumed that prior art structures of the type disclosed in the above-noted U.S. patents are operable for their intended use. However, a review of such structures indicate an overly complex nature of the control and/or positioning mechanisms utilized to accomplish the relative movements of the components or sections of the vehicle relative to one another as they move between a stored position and an outwardly extended position.